Hydration: The Role of Water and Electrolytes in the Body

Optimal hydration is crucial for athletic performance. But even when you're not active, especially in hot conditions, proper hydration is required for your body to function correctly.

Without water, there is no life, and water makes up about 55% of the human body. But drinking only water, especially during training and races, is not enough to stay hydrated, avoid fatigue, and prevent muscle cramps.

In this blog, we will describe how to take care of proper hydration, what is the role of water in the body, and why drinking only water is not enough.

The Role of Water in the Body

You should drink water. It is a key component of the human body and has many vital functions.

• Thermoregulation: Water helps maintain constant body temperature through sweat. When the body heats up, the sweat evaporates from the surface of the skin, cooling the body.
• Nutrients and oxygen transport: Water is the main component of blood, which carries oxygen and essential nutrients to the cells.
• Joint lubrication: Water is an integral part of the synovial fluid that lubricates and cushions the joints, thus enabling smooth movement.
• Digestion and absorption: Water is essential for digesting food and absorbing nutrients in the intestines.
• Excretion of waste materials: Through urine and sweat, water helps the body rid itself of waste products and toxins.
• Electrolyte balance: Water helps maintain electrolyte balance in the body, which is essential for proper functioning of nerve impulses, muscle contractions, and pH balance.
• Tissue structure and protection: Water is a component of every cell and helps maintain their structure. It also helps protect sensitive tissues such as the brain and spinal cord.

Hydration for Athletes

The general recommendation that 8 glasses of water per day is sufficient for proper hydration does not apply to athletes, who lose a lot of water during training.

Loss of body water during training can reduce endurance performance, especially in hot environments, and can increase the risk of exercise-induced heat illness.

During training, the heart rate increases and muscle effort is greater, which leads to faster water loss. The higher the body temperature and the more intense the exercises, the more water is lost — an athlete can lose 2–6% of his body weight during training.

So, all this considered, how many glasses of water should an athlete drink per day?

Well, that depends on many factors, and it would be pointless to provide an arbitrary number. Instead, you should adapt your water intake to the amount and the intensity of your training and to the weather conditions, which directly impact your sweat rates.

And keep in mind that simply drinking water is not enough ...

Electrolytes aka Minerals

What else do athletes lose during training?

In addition to fluids, when sweating, athletes lose minerals aka electrolytes. But the problem is, you won't get them in sufficient amounts through water, which is why simply drinking water is not enough!

In order to maintain proper hydration, you need to replace the lost minerals as efficiently as possible, as they are involved in most body processes.

The most efficient way to intake minerals is with electrolyte tablets or, during exercise when a source of carbohydrates is needed, with isotonic sports drinks.

The best isotonic drinks contain a complex blend of minerals, such as sodium chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. But the most important mineral to supplement is sodium chloride or salt, the one you lose most of through sweat.

Athletes can lose 2-6% of their body weight during training.

Also, pay attention to magnesium. Since it should prevent muscle cramps, many supplements contain too much of it. We recommend keeping magnesium intake to a minimum during training to prevent digestive issues.

How to Hydrate Properly

Hydration is an ongoing process that you should keep in mind at all times.

But for an athlete and specifically for training sessions and races, we can divide hydration into three logical steps:

• before exercise,
• during exercise,
• after exercise.

Hydration Before Exercise

Being well hydrated at all times is best, but it is absolutely crucial before a training session or a race.

If you are having an afternoon training session, for example, maintain a proper level of hydration throughout the day by drinking plenty of water and adding electrolytes as needed.

We also recommend eating a nutritionally balanced diet (each meal should contain all three macronutrients — carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and a small snack approximately 60 minutes before training with an emphasis on carbohydrates.

Hydration During Exercise

During exercise, the intake of water and electrolytes is crucial. Dehydration reduces physical performance and, in severe cases, can lead to body shutdown, forcing you to stop exercising.

You should hydrate yourself even during workouts shorter than 60 minutes, especially if they are performed in hot weather conditions.

To determine if you hydrate properly, you can weigh yourself before and after your workout. Some weight loss is expected, but it shouldn’t exceed 4%.

The best way to maintain hydration during exercise is by using isotonic sports drinks that contain electrolytes. Nrgy Unit Drink by Nduranz combines carbohydrates with electrolytes, providing an energy source as well as helping with hydration.

Hydration After Exercise

Recovery after training is all about replenishing what you lost during training. This includes fluids and electrolytes.

The goal is to rehydrate as quickly as possible to enable proper recovery. You can use electrolyte drinks, but after a hard training session we recommend using a recovery drink, which also replenishes glycogen stores and feeds tired muscles with protein.

The addition of sugars in a recovery drink helps faster water resorption from the intestine into the blood. Salt retains water in the body, and water passes from the blood to the tissues, allowing the athlete to rehydrate faster.

Conclusion

Hydration is extremely important for every athlete. Water has many functions in the body, and low water levels or dehydration can lead to impaired athletic performance. 

The optimal level of hydration should be determined individually, depending on the physical condition of the athlete, the type and intensity of the sports activity. The weather conditions must be taken into consideration too.

Water is usually not the best choice for athletes during workout because you need both carbohydrates and electrolytes for optimal sports performance. Therefore, it is recommended to consume sports drinks during the training and recovery drinks after it.